Corbett announces $4.8 million project for Niagara

Gov. Tom Corbett (at podium) announced May 22 in Erie that $4.8 million in state funding would be allocated to renovate, refit and upgrade the U.S. Brig Niagara (shown in background), Pennsylvania's flagship and its only floating museum. At right is Pennsylvania first lady Susan Corbett. CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE TIMES-NEWS

ERIE, Pa. -- The reconstruction of the U.S. Brig Niagara cost $3.8 million in 1980s dollars.

Twenty-four years after that work was completed and the rebuilt Niagara took its first sea trial on Lake Erie, Gov. Tom Corbett announced Thursday that the ship is getting a $4.8 million, state-funded overhaul that will make it seaworthy for another quarter-century.

The money will come from the state's capital budget for public-improvement projects and will require no local matching funds.

"When it's completed, it will give it 25 more seasons. So that's 25 more years of children and adults getting an opportunity to learn a little bit of history, go out and sail on it, you know, explore it, understand its importance to the history of the United States, its importance to here in the seaport of Erie," Corbett said in an interview.

"But it's also an economic boom to Erie when it comes to tourism, so I think it's very important," Corbett said. "Twenty-five years, that's a pretty good investment."

The ship is a reproduction of the original brig that fought in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812.

Construction, including a complete rebuild of the hull, is expected to begin no later than 2016. The work should take about 15 to 18 months, meaning the ship will miss one sailing season, Niagara Capt. Billy Sabatini said.

But Sabatini said the plan calls for the work to be done at the Niagara's berth at the Erie Maritime Museum on Erie's east bayfront. "It's a huge attraction, a huge exhibit," he said, referring to the reconstruction project.

State money will pay for materials and labor. Sabatini said the state won't know how many employees will be hired for the job until completion of final design.

Corbett's announcement came two days after the governor formally won the GOP nomination without opposition in Tuesday's primary and immediately geared up for a general election campaign against Democratic nominee Tom Wolf.

Wooden ships such as the Niagara typically require an extensive refit and renovation after about 20 years, the governor's office said. Even if well maintained, water seeps in through the deck, causing the wood of the topsides -- the surface of the ship's hull above the water line -- to soften and decay, and fasteners to corrode, according to the statement.

The governor's office said the work will improve safety and capabilities, while keeping the ship's historic appearance and authenticity.

- Increase the depth of the ship by 20 inches and add about 16 tons of internal ballast. Those changes will improve the ship's safety, allowing it to meet stability regulations and increase its capabilities.

- Maintain historical appearance and authenticity as much as possible while accommodating needs for sailing the Niagara. Virtually all above-deck features and appearances will stay the same, except for a higher rail and freeboard -- the distance between the waterline and the main deck.

Walter Rybka, administrator and senior captain of the Niagara, said that after $3.8 million was spent on the original reconstruction, about an additional $1 million was invested over the next few years for an engine room and machinery, cannons, boats and navigational equipment.

The crew stood behind Corbett during the announcement, with the ship in the background. The governor was joined at the announcement by speakers that included his wife, Susan, and Millcreek Township resident Jean Craige Pepper Victor, both commissioners on the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Pepper Victor said the Niagara is a self-sustaining ship, but now needs major work.

Corbett's announcement was part of a day that mixed official business with campaigning.

He gave an address at the inaugural Warriors to Washington reception at the museum. Warriors to Washington is a local group that honors veterans from Erie, Crawford and Warren counties who served in the military after Sept. 11 by taking them to historical and national sites in Washington, D.C.

Corbett also planned to attend a fundraiser Thursday night at the Erie Art Museum.

JOHN GUERRIERO can be reached at 870-1690 or by e-mail. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNguerriero. Read the Campaign '14 blog at GoErie.com/blogs/campaign and post comments.